Ahmed Farouk, the correspondent for Cairo News in Abidjan, reported that the city is currently immersed in an atmosphere of joy and happiness unseen since the start of the tournament, shared by both Moroccan and Ivorian fans.
The elation stems from their teams securing the top spot with victories in their matches in the Africa Cup of Nations.
In a televised interview on the “AFCON 2023” program broadcasted on Cairo News channel, Farouk explained that initially, Moroccan fans were quite upset due to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decision to suspend their coach, Walid Regragui, for four games, two of which were suspended.
They considered it an extremely unfair decision, especially since it was issued just two hours before the match, causing intense anger among the Moroccan supporters.
The Africa Cup of Nations
Farouk also touched upon the disappointment and sadness prevailing among Tunisian fans after their national team exited the tournament, defying expectations of achieving good results.
He emphasized that both Tunisian and Algerian supporters expressed their extreme displeasure towards Djamel Belmadi, the coach of the Algerian national team, and Jalal Qaderi, the coach of the Tunisian national team.
The fans held them accountable for their teams’ elimination from the championship.
The unexpected turn of events has brought contrasting emotions to the diverse fan bases in Abidjan, turning the city into a vibrant hub of celebration and commiseration, reflecting the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during the Africa Cup of Nations.
